Extensive urbanization around the world has caused a great loss of farmland, which significantly impacts the ecosystem services provided by farmland. This study investigated the farmland loss due to urbanization in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China from 1980 to 2018 based on multiperiod datasets from the Land Use and Land Cover of China databases. Then, we calculated ecosystem service values (ESVs) of farmland using valuation methods to estimate the ecosystem service variations caused by urbanization in the study area.

Identifying the land-use type and spatial distribution of urban construction land is the basis of studying the degree of exposure and the economic value of disaster-affected bodies, which are of great significance for disaster risk predictions, emergency disaster reductions, and asset allocations. Based on point of interest (POI) data, this study adopts POI spatialization and the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm to accomplish the spatial classification of construction land.

Land-use intensity (LUI) is one of the most direct manifestations of regional land use efficiency. The study of cross-administrative LUI in urban agglomerations is of great importance for the sustainable development of land, new urbanization, and territorial spatial planning. In this study, the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China was used as the case study area to explore the spatial spillover effect through the administrative division, underlying driving mechanism, and spatial interactions or constraints of LUI.

China, in a rapid urbanization process, is accompanied by the expansion of built-up land, population accumulation, and intensive land investment, while the improvement of the urban environment cannot keep up with the population and economic density growth. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the balance between urban land use economic intensity (built-up area density, population density, land price) and ecological intensity (the depth, breadth, and integration of ecological spaces) in Tangshan.

Urbanization towards the expansion of the city area causes urban sprawl and changes in space use. Furthermore, urban agglomeration towards urban spatial integration causes a decrease in environmental quality. This study aims to analyze (1) land-use change and urban sprawl work as determinants of environmental quality degradation in suburban areas. (2) The effect of urban sprawl, urban agglomeration, land-use change, urban activity systems, and transportation systems on environmental quality degradation in suburban areas.

Diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) is one of the major factors causing water pollution in Lakes Palić and Ludaš, the two largest shallow lakes of the Pannonian Basin in Serbia. These two lakes are protected under national and international law. On the basis of the number of strictly protected bird species, Ludaš Lake has been classified as a wetland of international importance since 1977 (Ramsar site 3YU002); in 2021, both lakes were nominated as potential Natura 2000 areas. Despite the degree of protection and ecological significance of the area, agricultural land prevails.

Afforestation of former agricultural lands is a common practice in several countries. This is beneficial for avoiding diseases carry-over from previous forest generations and to expand forest areas. However, several biotic and abiotic risks have been reported in such stands, including a higher risk of Heterobasidion root rot after thinning. Therefore, this study investigates the spread of Heterobasidion root rot in three Picea abies (L.) Karst. plantations in Latvia established on former pasture and meadow lands and subjected to forest management practices.

Climate variability coupled with land use and land cover changes have resulted in significant changes in forest reserves in Ghana with major implications for rural livelihoods. Understanding the link between climate variability, land use and land cover changes and rural livelihoods is key for decision-making, especially regarding sustainable management of forest resources, monitoring of ecosystems and related livelihoods. The study determined the extent to which climate variability drives land cover changes in the Bobiri forest reserve, Ghana.

Forest land is the carrier for growing forests. It is of great significance to evaluate the forest land quality scientifically and delineate forestland protection zones reasonably for realizing better forest land management, promoting ecological civilization construction, and coping with global climate change.

A need to quantify the impact of a particular wind disturbance on forest resources may require rapid yet reliable estimates of damage. We present an approach for combining pre-disturbance forest inventory data with post-disturbance aerial survey data to produce design-based estimates of affected forest area and number and volume of trees damaged or killed. The approach borrows strength from an indirect estimator to adjust estimates from a direct estimator when post-disturbance remeasurement data are unavailable.

Shear strength is an important mechanical property of soil, as its mechanical function plays critical roles in reducing land degradation and preventing soil erosion. However, shear strength may be affected by vegetation type through changes in the soil and root patterns. To understand the influences of different types of vegetation on shear strength, the soil shear indices of three typical vegetation types (broad-leaved forest, coniferous broad-leaved mixed forest, and grassland) were studied and evaluated at the Fengyang Mountain Nature Reserve, China.

Fragmentation has long been considered the primary cause for ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss worldwide. Forest fragmentation affects ecosystem functioning and biodiversity in multiple ways. Here, we ask how forest fragmentation influences aboveground biomass storage (AGB) in sub-tropical forests in China. We established 207 20 m × 20 m plots within 69 forest fragments of varying size. Forest fragmentation process simulation was carried out via repeated quadrat sampling using different sized quadrats in two non-fragmented stands.